Carrier for dishware and like articles



May 20, 1958 H. H. ROTHSCHI LD CARRIER FOR DISHWARE AND LIKE ARTICLES Filed Oct. 19, 1956 United States Patent 2,835,546 CARRIER FOR DISHWARE AND LIKE ARTICLES Henry H. R0tl1schild, Secaucus, N. J., assignor to Universal Products Corporation, Secaucus, N. J.

Application October 19, 1956, Serial No. 617,013

3 Claims. (Cl. 312117) This invention relates to a movable carrier for containers, dishware and like articles, which carrier may be equipped with rollers or casters for rapid transportation from place to place, as in .a kitchen, cafeteria, restaurant and similar spaces, said carrier having one or more compartments for holding and storing such'articles to be dispensed from said compartments.

It is one of the primary objects of the invention to provide means afiording the storing of the carrier under dishwashing tables in dishwashing pantries, so that when clean dishes leave the dishwashing machine they can be stored directly in the compartments of said carrier, thus eliminating the usual double handling of dishes from the dishwashing machine to conventional storage shelving of serving counters or pantries.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means facilitating the construction of a carrier, in particular for dishware, which holds dishes in a closable casing to thereby protect said dishes against breakage and also against contamination from unhygienic sources or surroundings.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide means enabling the use of said carrier of the aforesaid type in conjunction with a serving counter or shelf in a cafeteria or like place, so that the said carrier can be readily placed below said counter, from Where the contents of the compartments within said carrier may be made readily accessible to the operator working at said counter.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a carrier of the above type wherein each compartment can be operated from an open to a closed position and vice versa, with the maximum speed and ease and without interference with the confined space (i. e. below a serving counter), in which the carrier is accommodated.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide means conducive to a carrier construction with transparent walls, such as glass or plastic walls, so that the contents of the compartment or compartments within said carrier will be perceivable from without said car ner.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide means conducive to the most economical and efficient utilization of the space beneath a serving counter or other similar distributing surface, whereby article-carrying means may be moved beneath and positioned at will under any portion of said serving counter therealong, said article-carrying means combining both storage and dispensing facilities for articles, thereby avoiding the necessity of installing permanent shelving underneath said serving counter.

Other and further objects, benefits and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the description thereof derived from the annexed drawing, specification and claims. It will be understood that the invention here- "ice in disclosed may be employed for other purposes for which the parts, structure and arrangement are adapted.

In the accompanying drawing:

'Fig. 1 shows in perspective a carrier embodying the present invention, with article-carrying compartments shown in closed position, one compartment being shown in partly opened positi-oh, as indicated in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a carrier embodying.

the present invention, seen partially in section to display the interior of the compartments. 1

Fig. 3 shows in perspective the carrier of Fig. I placed under a serving counter, parts of the latter being broken away to show the carrier with one compartment in open and operative position.

Fig. 4 shows in'section a corner of one of the compartments equipped with end hinge means, the section being taken along line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the top part of the carrier, showing top hinge means in modified form.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. 1 a carrier comprising a first frame 11 and a second frame 12. Each of said frames have upright legs 13, 14 and a crosspiece 15.

Between these inverted U-shaped frames 11, 12 is arranged a carrier casing 16. The casing 16 has side walls 10a and 10b, made from opaque material, such as sheet metal. Said casing is disposed below the cross-pieces and secured to the legs 13 and 14 by any appropriate means, such as screws, clamps or the like (not shown),

I connecting the frames with the side walls 10a and 10b.

are made of glass or plastic material for purposes later described.

Compartment .19 has a rear wall 25, bottom wall 26, a transparent front wall 27 and a transparent top wall 23. As can be visualized from Fig. 4, front wall 27 is riveted at 29 to a strap 31 of hinge 30, whereas the other forwardly of front wall 23.

strap 32 of hinge 30 is riveted at 33 to the top wall 23. Top walls 24 and 28 are provided with respective hinges 34 and 35, supported by transverse strip section 20, as more clearly seen in Fig. 2.

As indicated in Fig. 2 and shown in dotted lines, front wall 23 can be moved by means of handle 23a about the respective hinge 36 to obtain access to the interior of,

the compartment 18, in which for instance a stack of dishes D may be received. These dishes are viewable Similarly front wall 27 is provided with a handle 27a.

It will be further observed from Fig. 2 that the bottom walls 22 and 26 of the compartments 18 and 19 are slanted downwardly towards the respective rear walls 21 a1 and 25, in order to safely retain even breakable dishware Patented May 20, 1958 .2 As illustrated in Fig. l, upright legs 13, 14 of the frames 11 and 12 are equipped with conventional swivel and roller means 39 positioned at the lower extremity of each leg, respectively. The carrier is thus readily adapted.

1.8 is desired to be opened, handle 23a is grasped by the operator and wall 23 is swung upward about hinge 36, and then swung further upward and rearward, whereby top wall 24- is swung upward about hinge 34 so that both front and top walls 23, 24* at the end of the upward motion are so positioned that the outer face of top wall 24 comes to lie on the outer face of top wall 28 of compartment 19, Whereas the inner face of top wall 24lies contiguous to the inner face of front wall23. It will'thus be seen that access has been provided to compartment 18, while compartment 19'rernains' effectively closed and the contents stored therein remain in sealed and protected condition. through movement of front wall 27 and top wall 28- about the respective hinge means 30, 35, while compartment 18 remains closed.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the carrier 10 is readily adaptable to being placed under a serving counter 40 (shown partly broken away) such as is used in a cafeteria or restaurant. The carrier is designed to be of such height that it can be moved underneath the counter eitherin open or closed condition of the aforesaid compartments as desired. When disposed with compartment 18 or 19 in open position under counter 40; the dishware or the like stored within said open compartment may be quickly reached by the operator, who can readily place said dishware on top of the serving counter, thus avoiding the usual handling of first placing dishes on shelving under the counter. Thus extra handling and manipulation of the dishes will be avoided according to the invention, and

space under the countermay be taken up by the carrier, whenever it is desired to move the same relative to the counter for service. There has thus been attained means suitable to move about dishware or like articles, and means for rapid, compact and convenient handling, ofv said dishware or like articles in conjunction with a serving counter or other fixed distributing location, from where such articles are ultimately handed over. or released.

The respective top hinge means 34, 35 herein referred to may be replaced by a single hinge unit, as seen in Fig. 5. At opposite ends and above center strip 20 there exte .d spaced apart lugs or trunnion pieces 20a (only one being visible) for receiving a transverse hinge rod 2% fixed thereto. About this hinge rod are swingable the top walls 24 and 28 to which are connected, respectively, as by rivetting hinge wings or hands 34a and 35 engaged with rod 20b for the purpose of facilitating access to the respective compartments, as hereinabove set forth.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

Similarly compartment 19' may be opened l. A carrier for dishware and like articles comprising two spaced-apart frame means, a casing positioned between said frame means and 'supported by the latter, said casing being provided with two compartments, each compartment having a fixed rear wall and a fixed bottom wall slanting downwardly towards said rear wall, said rear walls of said compartments being spaced from and interconnected with each other at the upper ends of said rear walls to thereby form a transverse connecting strip thereat, each compartment being further provided with a transparent front wall and a transparent top wall, first hinge means connecting said front walls at the upper ends thereof to said top walls, second hinge means connecting said top walls to said transverse connecting strip, whereby the respective front wall of one compartment may first be swung about said first hinge means relative to said top wall and further together with said top wall about said second hinge means, whereby the outer. face of the: top wall of said one compartment comes to lie on the outer. face of the top wall of the other compartment, whereas the inner face of the top wall of said one compartment lies contiguous to the inner face of the front wall of said one compartment when the latter is completely open at.

its front wall, and respective bumper means on said casing and located adjacent the lower ends of said front walls.

2. A carrier for dishware and like articles comprising two spaced-apart frame means, a casing positioned between said frame means and supported by the latter, said casing being provided with two compartments, each compartment having a fixed rear wall and a fixed bottomwall slanting downwardly towards said rear wall, saidrearv walls of said compartments being spaced from andlinterconnected with each other at the upper ends of saidrear walls to thereby form a transverse connecting strip thereat, first hinge means connecting said front walls at the. upper ends thereof to said top walls, and second hinge means.

connecting said top walls to said transverse connecting. strip, whereby the respective frontwall of one compartmerit may first be swung about said first hinge means relative. to said top wall and further together with said top wall about said second hinge means, whereby the outer face of the top wall of one compartment comesjto; lie onthe outer faceof the top wall of the other. compare:v ment, whereas the inner face of the top wall of .saidone: compartment lies contiguous to the inner face of the front wall of said one compartment when the latter is completely open at its front wall.

3. A carrier according to claim 2, said frame means forming, inverted U-shaped elements extending upwardly.

beyond said top walls and constituting handles-for said casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

